"'Cause all jocks ever think about is sports. All we ever think about is sex."

--Betty Childs and Lewis Skolnick, "Revenge of the Nerds"

From Urkel on "Family Matters" to Paul Pfeiffer on "Wonder Years" to Peter Parker in "Spider-Man," media often depicts nerds as bespectacled weirdos that have an abundance of intelligence and almost no social skills. And yes, oddly, mainstream media commonly suggests that nerds are amazing in bed, both in television (Podrick on "Game of Thrones") and in movies (Michelle Flaherty in "American Pie").

Visual media tends to stereotype and exaggerate, creating an impression of nerds that doesn't quite fit reality. In truth, nerds are common and incredibly varied in real life. Real life nerds include Mark Zuckerberg, Felicia Day, and even Vin Diesel.

The simple truth is that nerds are as varied as any other person is size, shape, personality, and most importantly, whether or not they are good to date. That said, there are some commonly shared characteristics of nerds that potentially make them excellent to date. Here are the top 4 reasons to date a nerd.

1. You are Also a Nerd

Dating someone with similar interests to you is almost always a good thing. If you like comic books, obscure movies, and video games, you will probably have more interesting discussions and better enjoy activities together if you are dating a fellow nerd who also enjoys the same things.

Nerds and nerd culture is often looked down on by society, and as a result, many nerds often try to date non-nerds in order to "fit in." If you are a nerd, you should ignored society (and the shameful people who stigmatise others for how they enjoy their free time) and date someone who matches you best in personality and activities they enjoy.

2. You are Attracted to Intelligence

Not all nerds are smart, but the majority have above average intelligence. It pretty much has to do with the definition of the word "nerd". A nerd is basically someone who finds pleasure in hyper specialised knowledge of certain activities. And, yes, this does mean that your friend who knows every score of every game ever played at the County Championship since the first tournament in 1890 is a nerd, even if he also is a world class cricket player.

For most people, that type of focus and knowledge only happens because of high intelligence. There are exceptions, but they will be rare. Similarly, if you find someone with above average intelligence, they are probably a nerd, in at least one way.

Thus, if you value intelligence in a partner, dating a nerd makes a lot of sense. It is important to note, though, that while many nerds are intelligent, they don't always use that intelligence conventionally. This means that you may be dating someone who engages in great conversations and knows really obscure things, but still works at the local grocery store and is dirt poor.

3. You Want to Date Someone with Limited Sexual Experience

For a variety of reasons, most nerds have limited sexual experience. As already mentioned, this isn't universally true, but true more often than not, with the major exception of so-called "theatre nerds."

If you are concerned about dating someone with a long sexual history, or want to try to minimise your chances of dating someone with a STD, dating a nerd is one way to limit your risk while dating. Obviously, if you have such concerns, you should always discuss sexual history with your partner before engaging in any level of intimacy, but just by dating a nerd you are likely making that discussion a little less nerve wracking.

4. You've Never Dated a Nerd Before

The entire purpose of dating is to find someone that matches you on an emotional level, preferably someone who you will spend the rest of your life with. If you have dated lots of people during your life and never found that right person, it might be because you limited your dating pool too much.

If you have dated lots of people, but never a nerd, it is about time that you try dating a nerd. That personality type could very well be exactly the type of personality that perfectly matches you. Love is a hard thing to find in the world and you should explore every option while dating, especially if it is an option you have never explored before.